


Required Secondary Powers of the Goku Uniforms

by ArgentDandelion



Category: Kill la Kill (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Analysis, Biology, Blade Regalia, Gen, Goku Uniforms, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Life Fibers, Science, Shackle Regalia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-04
Updated: 2015-09-04
Packaged: 2020-11-25 16:57:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20915477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgentDandelion/pseuds/ArgentDandelion
Summary: Covers the Required Secondary Powers Goku Uniforms must give their users to be effective.





	Required Secondary Powers of the Goku Uniforms

_Note: Though the article is for general audiences, Kill la Kill is itself PG-13 to R, due to blood, swearing, and nudity_.

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I hypothesize that Goku Uniforms slightly alter wearers’ physiology for [Required Secondary Powers](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Ftvtropes.org%2Fpmwiki%2Fpmwiki.php%2FMain%2FRequiredSecondaryPowers&t=YzVkNDE0NTc4NjE0NTY0NTNhMDgzODkwNjZlZTU2MGY2MzdiZmJkNSxlUDI3OHR0eg%3D%3D&b=t%3AHZZTbr56CX-Pu8cYzedJTw&p=https%3A%2F%2Fargentdandelion.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F128375413786%2Frequired-secondary-powers-of-the-goku-uniforms&m=1).

For example, no matter how great Inumuta’s display is, there’s no way his eyes can keep up with a fast-moving target unless the “frame rate” of his eyes is adjusted.

How can Jakuzure blast very loud sound from her hat without deafening herself? Her Goku Uniform amplifies the effect of the naturally-occurring [acoustic reflex](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FAcoustic_reflex&t=YzRkYWQ1M2JhMzVkMGU5YzAxODI2MzBkZmRhMWE5NzA3ZmI1OTdhMSxlUDI3OHR0eg%3D%3D&b=t%3AHZZTbr56CX-Pu8cYzedJTw&p=https%3A%2F%2Fargentdandelion.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F128375413786%2Frequired-secondary-powers-of-the-goku-uniforms&m=1).

When first fighting Ryuko, Sanageyama showed off eyes in the chest grille and spine of the Blade Regalia. Apparently he can see out of those eyes, and use tengantsu with them too. It’s suggested (though not outright stated) that he can see out of his natural eyes and Goku Uniform eyes _simultaneously_. For him to do this, he would likely need extra brain capacity for the visual-processing center of his brain. Thus, his Goku Uniform must be some kind of external hard drive for his brain.

Gamagoori’s attack strategy (as of his first Goku Uniform) relies on getting hit. If the opponent won’t attack him, he will whip _himself_ in order to transform into his attacking mode, Scourge Regalia. Sure, the Shackle Regalia is “armored fabric reinforced with a coating of special powers”, but if it’s anything like real bulletproof vests, his body still takes _some_ damage beneath it. How can he prevent the resulting pain from distracting him? Simple: make pain _pleasurable_. His Goku Uniform must alter his brain chemistry to some degree to achieve this. He doesn’t seem to enjoy pain when the Shackle Regalia isn’t activated, so finding pain pleasurable apparently isn’t his default.

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**Blade Regalia**

There are a bunch of sensory prostheses available for the blind and deaf, so the brain figuring out how to use an electronically provided sense isn’t all that unusual. (though, admittedly, still rather cool) What’s unusual is that _he can apparently see out of all sets of eyes at once_. It’s not outright stated that he can do so, but it is implied by the dialogue and imagery during his first fight with Ryuko. Specifically, while showing off the extra eyes, he says: “With these eyes I can see any move you make, before you make it!” To explain how remarkable this is, one needs to have some context. When blind people learn to use echolocation, the part of the brain (the visual cortex) that normally processes visual stimuli is engaged by echoes. They can do this _because_ they aren’t using the visual cortex; it’s repurposed extra space.

**Shackle Regalia**

Sure, the Shackle Regalia is “armored fabric reinforced with a coating of special powers”, but if it’s anything like real bulletproof vests, his body still takes _some_ damage beneath it. He can’t wear two layers of armor; the “armored fabric” is almost certainly heavy enough by itself. (if it weren’t, then _everyone_ would have it, regardless of strategy)

If Gamagoori’s whole strategy relies on getting hit, and he inevitably incurs damage to his body as a consequence, how can he prevent the pain from incapacitating him? Simple: make pain _pleasurable_ with endorphins. First, some explanation: endorphins are natural painkillers of the body that are chemically similar to opiate drugs. Endorphins are released upon injury or exertion and have an euphoric effect. Indeed, endorphins are responsible for the “runner’s high” phenomenon, whereby people feel a sense of euphoria after strenuous exercise.[1](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/128375648271/required-secondary-powers-of-the-goku-uniforms#fn:1) My hypothesis is that Gamagoori’s Goku Uniform amplifies natural endorphin responses, to the extent Gamagoori _greatly enjoys_ (to put it politely) receiving damage.

* * *

  1. Technically, the endorphin hypothesis is one of two competing hypotheses for the phenomena, and there’s individual variation in perception of the “runner’s high”. [↩︎](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/128375648271/required-secondary-powers-of-the-goku-uniforms#fnref:1)

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my [Tumblr](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/). Feel free to comment on this article there or here.


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